As written by Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”, this is the prologue of my journey in legal field.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Year 2020 has been a bad year for most of us, because of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. On a contradictory note, year 2020 has been a fruitful year for me since I assumed the role of a pupil in March 2020. For Alex Chang & Co (ACC), especially Mr Chang to take me in as pupil during these difficult times with no downwards adjustment is definitely uneasy. For this, I shall be grateful.
Transition
Nine months have passed since then. I did not manage to learn everything from ACC but I was taught a lot of other things. The personal values gained in ACC would be helpful in carving my path as I move on. While I am not able to list down all the things learnt in ACC, here are some useful ones in core.
Opportunity only knocks once
What I learnt is that, taking the trust placed on you by the client, one must handle the work professionally with due care and diligence. Clients placed their trusts or even lives on you, so one must seize the opportunity and not to misplace this trust by disappointment. Thus, one must pay serious attention to the work. I learnt from Mr Chang, to be accountable to the work entrusted onto you.
Know the Law at Your Fingertips
Another thing worth mentioning is that, I was always encouraged and be reminded to pick up on the provisions of law learnt. This is the least which could be asked of us. For example when we look for a chef, we would expect him to know the basic knowledge about cooking, this is also how a layman would expect from us while seeking for help. So, it would be imperative for us to know the law at our fingertips.
Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears A Crown
While “working” for me is no easy task, I learnt that being a boss is even more difficult. The responsibilities placed on his shoulders are much heavier. Every action and inaction on our part will have consequences. I learnt that knowing the consequences of the task assigned to us would make us accountable.
A Responsible Person Seeks A Solution
Looking for excuses for our own failures is a common thing which happens everyday. What I learnt in ACC is that, a responsible person finds a solution to the hardship he faces. In ACC, we hold to the principle that whenever we face any uncertainty, we must find a way to resolve it. We tolerate no excuses in coming up to the standard required. As simple as that.
Taking and Following Instructions
This is extremely important. I was taught that if a superior passes an instruction, the subordinates should, without any doubt, strictly adhere to that instruction. For example, during a war, the person taking the lead would be in a better position to make a decision. Others must only abide by the instruction.
Also, one must not make any decision on behalf of others without first consulting them. This is so because as we are working in a team and probably we are not in a position to decide on how things should work.
Pillars in ACC
Apart from my pupil master, Mr Chang, I work alongside with Ms Elaine, Ms Janice, Ms Chow and Miss Lim in ACC. An interesting part is that Ms Janice will prepare homecooked food for lunch, for us, everyday. My colleagues are supportive towards each other in completing a task. This portrays to me what team work is like.
Ms Elaine would give words of comfort, Ms Janice would tell how life is like and Ms Chow would bring joy and laughter. Miss Lim would teach me everything as much as she could. I could remember all such details.
Till We Meet Again
While I am stumbling along this journey, I will never forget the words from one of my lecturers, Ms Santhi Latha which says, “you are not only holding your own aspirations in your hands, but the hopes and dreams of those who have come before you, most of all your parents and family. Every success you have is theirs first, and every failure you have is only yours but they will bear it with you. Don’t let that happen.”
The same applies, for every success I have is ACC’s first, and every failure I have is only mine. Period. They shall not bear any failure of mine with me.
Lastly, thank you to everyone in ACC for everything. Thank you for the opportunities and guidance provided. Thank you for the words and advices given. Thank you for taking care of and sheltering me during this one year. I will keep all these in mind. Thank you.
Anni Ng
Advance Tertiary College (ATC)
